Indicator for door-locks.



A. ARENS & E. L. THIGH.

INDICATOR FOR DOOR LOOKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1909.

Patented 0ct.5, 1909.

I I I I STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

AUGUST ARENS AND ERNEST L. T-EICH, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS '10 P. & r. comma, NECTICUT.

OF NEW'BBITAI N, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- INDICATOR FOR DOOR-LOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Application filed May 22, 1909. Serial No. 497,631.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUoUsr Asians and ERNEST L. TEIoH, citizens of .the .United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have indor doors of hotel rooms. Since such corridors are frequently dark, the ordinary visual indicator is of little or no utility, hence our indlcator is constructed to appeal to the;

sense of touch.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a section of one edge of a door with the Fig. 2 is a view; of the outer end of the indicator and the Fig. 3 is a view of the inner side of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the plane of the line indicator applied thereto.

mounting therefor.

XX, Fig. 2, showing the indicator in one position. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing; the indicator in a second position. Fig. 6; illustrates on an enlarged scale one part off the indicator in two difi'erent positions, Fig. 7 illustrates another part of the indi-; cator in two different positions. Fig. 8, illustrates the housing or support for the indicator with the various parts, detached.

1 represents a portion of a door; 2 represents an escutcheon plate on the outer side thereof.

3 represents escutcheon plate on the inner side. The design of the escutcheons is immaterial.

4 is a thumb-turn so-called, located on the inner side of the door and suit-ably connected with a dead-bolt, indicated in dotted lines at 5. The usual means for connecting a thumb-turn 4 with a dead-bolt is a spindle 6. Such a spindle is indicated in dotted lines Fig. 1, and in solid lines in Figs. 3 and 4.

Such

locks are frequently employed on the corri '7, when said indicator is retracted. tend the indicator 7, the hub 12 is partially 7 is the indicator proper; the same in this particular instance being in the form of a button projecting through the face plate or escutcheon 2. This indicator 7 is arranged to be extended and retracted. hen extended, it means that the dead-bolt is projected, and when retracted it means that the deadvbolt is retracted, or vice versa.

8 is a housing or guide for the indicator, said housing beingarranged at the rear of plate 2. The indicator .7 is provided with a head .9 at its rear, the same being of suit able shape and size ,to slide (but not turn) within the housing 8. In the form shown, the housing is tubular .and has a longitudinal slot .8 in its side, arranged to receive a pin 10 carried by the indicator which operates as a key or spline to prevent the indicator 7 from turning within the housing 8 as it is belng extended or retracted.

11 1s a spring arranged within the housing .8 and surrounding the indicator 7 and preferably provided to retract the indicator rearwardly so that its outer end will stand practically flush with the outer surface of the plate 2.

.12 is a coupling in the form of a hub mounted to turn in the rear open end of the :housing 8, said hub being shouldered within the housing 8 .to prevent accidental detachment. The hub 12 has the two cam-like projections l813 which stand in a recessed portion 14 at the rear end of the indicator To exrotated, for example, one quarter of a turn. This partial turn will be transformed by the coupling into a longitudlnal movement that will push the indicator out from the position shown .in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, in which position the top of the cams l313 will rest upon the rear-most end of the head 9 of the indicator, said rearmost end being preferably flattened, as at 15, to avoid any tendency on the part of spring 11 to restore the parts to their original position shown in Fig. 4. The hub 12 has a central rectangular opening arranged to receive the end of the spindle 6, so that when the spindle 6 is turned the hub 12 will be turned with it. The rear end of the indicator 7 is preferably provided with a round bore sufficiently large to permit the spindle to freely project therein. This bore affords ample opportunity for adjusting the plates to and fro to quite an extent without d1sengaging the spindle 6 from the hub 12, thus adapting the apparatus to doors of different thicknesses.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the spring 11 serves to repress the indicator 7, while the hub '12, when turned by the spindle 6, serves to extend the indicator to the dotted position indicated in Fig. 1 When in this position, the thumb-turn 4 and bolt 5 will stand in the position indicated in dotted lines in the same figure. It follows that no matter how dark the corridor may be, an outsider can instantly tell by the sense of touch whether the door is locked or unlocked.

What we claim is:

1. An indicator for a door lock comprising a support, an indicating device movable laterally through said support, a spindle cooperating with said indicating device and a coupling between said parts to transform the rotary movement of said spindle into a longitudinal movement of the indicating device to move the same outwardly and a spring for retracting said indicating device.

2. An indicator for door locks comprising a support, an indicating member carried thereby and movable in and out relatively thereto, a spring for moving said indicating member inwardly, a rotatable spindle for moving said indicating device outwardly, a rotatable hub mounted upon the same support with the indicator and to the rear of the latter, means to prevent said indicating device from rotating, a cam connection between said indicating device and hub, said spindle being operatively connected with said hub, whereby partial rotation of said spindle will force said indicating device outwardly.

3. An indicator for door locks comprising a bolt operating spindle, an indicating clevice substantially in line therewith, a support for the indicating device with means to prevent said indicating device from rotating therein but permitting said device to move in and out, a rotatable hub mounted on the same support to the rear of the indicating device, a cam connection between the hub and l indicating device, said spindle making direct engagement with said hub, whereby rotation of the spindle will rotate said hub and move said indicating device longitudinally, a spring for moving said indicating device in opposition to the direction of movement resulting from the cam connection.

4. An indicator for door locks comprising a bolt operating spindle, an indicating device substantially in line therewith, a support for the indicating device with means to prevent said indicating device from rotating therein but permitting said device to move in and out, a rotatable hub mounted on the same support to the rear of the indicating device, a cam connection between the hub and the indicating device, said spindle making direct engagement with said hub, whereby rotation of the spindle will rotate said hub and move said indicating device longitudinally, a spring for moving said indicating device in opposition to the direction of movement resulting from the cam connecnally in said hub for adjustment.

5. An indicator for door locks comprising a bolt operating spindle, an indicating device substantially in line therewith, a support for the indicating device with means to prevent said indicating device from rotating in and out, a rotatable hub mounted on the same support to the rear of the indicating device, a cam connection between the hub and the indicating device, said spindle makby rotation of the spindle will rotate said hub and move said indicating device longitudinally, a spring for moving said indicating device in opposition to the direction of movement resulting from the cam connection, said spindle being slidable longitudinally in said hub for adjustment, said indieating member being hollowed out to afford clearance for said spindle adjustment.

AUGUST ARENS. ERNEST L. TEICH.

lVitnesses WM. V. COLLINS, G. ERNEST Roo'r.

tion, said spindle being slidable longituditherein but permitting said device to move ing direct engagement with said hub, where- 

